The Special Investigation Team (SIT) set up by the Karnataka government to probe allegations of mass burials in Dharmasthala has begun its site inspections, police confirmed on Monday.
The team, accompanied by land records officials, local police, and district authorities, visited several locations, including the bathing ghats of the Nethravati river at the entrance to Dharmasthala, news agency PTI reported. The complainant in the case, a former sanitation worker who is also a key witness, accompanied the SIT to these sites as part of the investigation.
Police said the witness also appeared before the SIT for a second round of questioning on July 27.
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A preliminary site inspection (mahazar) was conducted by the SIT and Kadaba Tahsildar Prabhakara Khajure at the Nethravati riverbank, following complaints by local groups. These groups had alleged that parts of the land may have been used for mass burials in the past.
The probe was initiated following an order from Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner Darshan H V, after the matter attracted public and media attention.
The complaint alleged that skeletal remains could be present beneath parts of the ghat area where excavation activities had reportedly taken place earlier. However, police clarified that no remains were found during the initial inspection and said a detailed forensic investigation would follow.
{{/usCountry}}The complaint alleged that skeletal remains could be present beneath parts of the ghat area where excavation activities had reportedly taken place earlier. However, police clarified that no remains were found during the initial inspection and said a detailed forensic investigation would follow.
{{/usCountry}}The SIT was constituted to investigate serious allegations of mass murder, sexual assault, and secret burials in Dharmasthala, reportedly spanning a period of over two decades.
SIT chief Pronab Mohanty, who is also the Director General of Police (Internal Security Division), joined the on-site team to supervise the inspection and monitor the investigation’s progress.
Other senior officers in the SIT include Deputy Inspector General of Police (Recruitment) M N Anucheth and IPS officers Soumyalatha S K and Jitendra Kumar Dayama.
According to police, the SIT has held detailed discussions with local authorities, reviewed missing persons records, and revisited earlier reports of suspicious deaths in the area.
A total of 20 police personnel, including inspectors, sub-inspectors, head constables, and constables from Udupi, Dakshina Kannada, and Uttara Kannada districts, have been assigned to assist the investigation.
The case is based on the testimony of the former sanitation worker, whose identity has not been disclosed. He has alleged that between 1995 and 2014, he was forced to bury several bodies in Dharmasthala, some of which, he claimed, bore signs of sexual violence. A statement has also been submitted before a magistrate in connection with these claims.
(With PTI inputs)
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